Today, the City of Tallahassee announced that subscriptions for the Capital City's first solar farm have reached maximum capacity.

City leaders have seen a tremendous outpouring of support for the 20 megawatt (MW), 120-acre solar farm currently under construction on the property of the Tallahassee International Airport (TLH). More than 2,000 residential customers and many businesses have signed up to participate since open enrollment for Tallahassee Solar, the City's community solar program, began on June 1. Three participation levels were offered - 25, 50 and 100 percent - to residential and small- and medium-sized commercial customers; most have elected to participate in Tallahassee Solar at the 100 percent level.

At the direction of the City Commission and with support from our community partners such as Sustainable Tallahassee, Florida State University and Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, our community is demonstrating a commitment to clean energy with the construction of one of the largest solar farms in the Sunshine State, capable of producing 37 million kilowatt (kWh) hours of electricity.

"As a community, we are setting an example for the whole state to follow," said Miaisha Mitchell, the City Utility's Citizen Advisory Committee Chair. "Our City government and electric utility provider has embraced what it means to be the capital of the Sunshine State by investing in solar. The addition of Tallahassee Solar further demonstrates the City's commitment to providing clean renewable energy to customers. Tallahassee's first solar farm is still under construction and already has sold out its expected energy output. The good news is that this is only the beginning."

Approximately 150 construction crew members are working to complete the solar farm, which was developed in partnership with Origis Energy. Currently, crew members are installing over 200,000 thin film solar panels. That process will likely continue until mid-November. Construction is expected to be complete this winter.

Utility customers who wish to participate in Tallahassee Solar can still sign up. They will be placed on a waiting list for the second solar farm, which is currently in the planning stages. The second solar farm is expected to be twice as big, 40 MW, and produce enough solar energy to power an additional 6,800 homes and businesses. Customers who wish to sign up for the Tallahassee Solar waiting list can visit Talgov.com/Solar.

To learn more about Tallahassee Solar, visit Talgov.com/Solar or call 891-4968. For up-to-date information about the progress of the Capital City's first solar farm, please follow the City of Tallahassee's official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow the conversation and show your support by using #TallahasseeSolar.